Faces of the Games

Though the media tend to focus on a handful of superstars, no fewer than 2,600 athletes competed in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics—every one of whom represents the best the world has to offer. Setting up shop in town, VF.com invited a wide array of athletes—both lesser-known lights and legends in the making—to share their moment of hard-earned glory.

Read More

Slide 1 of 40

1/39

EVAN LYSACEK

Age: 24. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Figure skating. Placed: First. Style points: He rolled into his photo shoot wearing Dior boots and an Hermès belt (oh, and his gold medal). Best thing about the Olympics: “The stories. Obviously the athletes and the events and the competitions are the bones of the Olympics, but the stories and the triumphs and the victories are the soul of it, and so to be just one of those stories and those victories is something I’ll never forget.”

Age: 25. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Half-pipe snowboarding. Placed: 11th. Vancouver expectations: “In 2006, my goal was to medal, and I got silver. So coming into this ... I really wanted to get the gold medal.” More important than the podium: “Landing my perfect run. And my second run was really close. It was all perfect until that fall.” Go big or go home: “I ran into some struggles with my signature trick, the Crippler Seven, all week, and so I finally got through that on the last run, and that felt really good to have gotten that back ... I think it would have been a bummer to not have gone for it and to have gotten third. I came to win and not accept anything less than that.” Post-Olympic plans: “I will probably go to the U.S. Open and try to get that perfect run—just one contest later.”

Age: 22. Country: Cayman Islands. Sport: Alpine skiing. Placed: 69th in giant slalom. What’s it like being the first—and only—Cayman Islands Winter Games athlete? “Lonely!” Opening-ceremony gear: “I wore a straw hat and carried the Cayman Islands’ flag.” Ski school: He learned to ski during family vacations to Beaver Creek. He now trains in Aspen when not in class at Brown University.

Age: 29. Country: Italy. Sport: Ice dancing. Placed: Fifth. On being the pair’s unofficial Olympic spokesperson: “Massimo keeps saying, ‘Ask Federica, ask Federica!’” **Über-staffed: “We have four coaches. Sometimes there are up to 10 people at the rink telling us what to do.”

MASSIMO SCALI

Age: 30. Country: Italy. Sport: Ice dancing. Placed: Fifth. Possible job change: “I want to be a public relater in New York City nightlife.” You mean do public relations? “Yes, public relations! But I still need to work on my English a little bit, I think.” The tattoo on his finger: “I got it when I left Italy and moved to the United States. It’s two roads separating in different directions.”

Age: 21. Country: Canada. Sport: Half-pipe snowboarding. Placed: 32nd. Best part of being an Olympian: “I don’t know, if you were trying to be politically correct as an Olympian, what would you say?” How was it competing? “Well, it was kind of short-lived because I fell both runs. But it was pretty cool to be up in front of everyone and representing your country. It’s like, This is sick. I made it to the highest level, and I’m going to give it my all.”

Age: 23. Country: Australia. Sport: Half-pipe snowboarding. Placed: First. On her disastrous first finals run that left her dead last going into her second run: “Yeah ... oops!” On her comeback: “The first run—that wasn’t ideal. But, you know, I finished that run, and I was like, I can’t change what just happened, but I can make sure I do it right this next run. I was at the top, I looked down, and I saw my family and friends in the crowd—I knew where they were and I could see the Aussie flags—and I thought, Well, I’m just going to go out and have some fun. I know how to do what I’m about to do, so let’s do it.”

Age: 27. Country: Russia. Sport: Speed skating. Placed: Second in the 10,000 meter; third in the 5,000 meter; fourth in the 1,500 meter. Nervous about tonight’s 1,500-meter competition? “No, I already have my medal. I am fine.”

Age: 20. Country: Switzerland. Sport: Ice hockey. Placed: Fifth. School girl: She’s currently a sophomore at Northeastern University, in Boston. Boyfriend: Swiss Olympic hockey player Yannick Weber. How they met: “At a press conference.” Olympic highlight: “Being around the super-famous athletes—for me, as a hockey player, seeing [Sidney] Crosby around in the cafeteria, or [Alexander] Ovechkin, is really special.” You aren’t the first person to say you like seeing Crosby around: “Ha!”

Age: 33. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Snowboard cross. Placed: First. On being an Olympic veteran: “It’s been really interesting for me mentally because it was a lot mellower here. I had such a thing in Torino about becoming an Olympian for the first time. I had so much more internal excitement about that, whereas here, I was like, O.K., I know how it’s going to be on that day. I raced really well on this course last year. I just need to come and do my job.” Race day: “I had all of this crazy emotion. I bumped into my mom and my sister on the way into the venue, and there were a few times where I teared up earlier in the morning. It was like, Holy shit, here’s this day again.”

Age: 25. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Alpine skiing. Placed: 19th in super-G; ninth in giant slalom; fifth in super combined; did not finish in slalom. See Ted Shred: He started Shred Optics, a goggles, helmets, and sunglasses line, after winning gold in the men’s super combined in the 2006 Winter Games. “I figured there needed to be a ski company that was into not just racing but also into the free-ride scene and snowboarding.” The best part of being an Olympian: “It’s one shot at full glory, but it’s not about your own glory. It’s about the glory for your country.”

Age: 25. Country: Russia. Sport: Pairs figure skating. Placed: Fourth. What kind of music is popular in Russia? “Michael Jackson this year.” Do you want us to turn on some M.J. for the photo shoot? “No.”

YUKO KAVAGUTI

Age: 28. Country: Russia. Sport: Pairs figure skating. Placed: Fourth. On the crowd support: “There were so many people!” On preparing for the world championships in Italy: “There is still a lot of work to do.”

Age: 20. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Half-pipe snowboarding. Placed: 33rd. On dropping into the pipe: “It’s just the best feeling. I hear the crowd, and the stage is huge—it’s the next level.” Olympic highlight: “Just making it here is cool—this event that is so much bigger than anything I’ve seen. Everyone is watching you.”

Age: 25. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Mogul freestyle skiing. Placed: First. On achieving her goal: After becoming the first American to win a gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Games, she told TV reporters, “I really want to be part of an Olympic montage and I think I’ve earned it now!”

Age: 25. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Ice hockey. Placed: Second. He shoots, he scores: His two goals against Switzerland in the quarterfinals secured Team U.S.A.’s 2–0 win, advancing the Americans into the semi-finals. On the Vancouver puck scene: “The craze for hockey up here is insane.” How popular is Team U.S.A. in hockey country? “We’ve had a lot of support for our games—there’s been a pretty good turnout. You see all the Canadians wearing red and black, but then once you see a few U.S. people, it’s a cool feeling.”

Age: 31. Country: Canada. Sport: Snowboard cross. Placed: First. On her new fame in Canada: “It’s been completely nuts, but positive nuts. Everybody’s been crazy supportive. I was so prepared for racing and race day, but then everything after—I’ve just been on cloud nine hovering around the city and meeting and greeting people. Everyone coming up to say congrats.” Model behavior: “It still hasn’t totally hit me yet, the whole, I guess you could say, ‘role model’ part of having a gold medal. I’ve always had all these other role models in snowboarding that are Canadian and Olympians, and now I just really want to make sure to do a good job in that role.” Hometown girl: “I just feel really fortunate to be a Canadian athlete right now.”

Age: 51. Country: Mexico. Sport: Alpine skiing. Also known for being a: Prince, artist, businessperson, photographer, pop singer. Placed: 78th in giant slalom; 46th in slalom. Claim to fame: He made his World Cup skiing debut after founding the Mexican Ski Federation, in 1981, and after skiing in five Olympics and 13 seasons of World Cup races, he’s never won a medal, he’s never been on a podium, and he’s never won an overall or discipline title. Style points: “I designed my suits for Torino, but I couldn’t use them because the Mexican Olympic Committee didn’t send us, so now I use them here. I had the ideas and then Kappa made them. I have a suit with a sombrero, and another one that’s full of trash—like recycling. It’s super cool ... I get distracted at the starting gate—I cannot ski because everyone at the start goes, ‘That is the coolest suit I ever saw!’ I was at a race with a bunch of young Americans, and a guy said, ‘Dude, this is the coolest downhill suit I ever seen!’ I said, ‘The problem with the suit is that it’s better than my skiing.’ He said, ‘Well, your skiing couldn’t be better than your suit.’ Ha! You won’t see a suit like that ever again. It’s amazing. The suit is amazing. Really. It’s outstanding. This is not a joke. It’s really nice.”

Age: 28. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Speed skating. Placed: 18th in the 500 meter; 26th in the 1,000 meter. Race gear: “The speed-skating suits are hot! And they take a while to break in.” Best part of being an Olympian: “Giving back to all of the supporters you’ve had throughout your life.” Olympic highlight: “The reward of all of the sacrifices that you and your family and friends made to get here.”

Age: 29. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Bobsleigh. Placed: Third. On expanding her Olympic horizons: “I tried to sit with a new person from a different country at every meal.” Style points: “I’m a girly-girl. But at the Olympics things have to be uniform, so it’s hard to stand out. I dyed my hair two days before I got here so I could race with some pink.” Olympic highlight: “The support from back home. I’ve dreamt of this my whole life, and to have such amazing support is just awesome.”

Age: 33. Country: Norway. Sport: Freestyle skiing, ski cross. Placed: Third. Too fast for mom: “I’m the only son. I was on the national alpine team before, and she could never watch me compete. She had to walk away.” On switching to ski cross: “I had my chances on the alpine team, but then I found out there are different things to do on skis that I was better at.”

Age: 26. Country: Canada. Sport: Freestyle skiing, moguls. Placed: Second. Claim to fame: Was Canada’s first medal winner on home soil. On sporting her Olympic hardware: “It actually hurts my neck to wear it because it’s so heavy. I had to call Physio after wearing it all day in pictures. It’s a real pain in the neck, ha!” On wearing her other bling: “I designed my own jewelry line with Birks—it’s like the Tiffany of Canada.” Ironically, the bangles, stackable rings, and other pieces are silver, just like her medal. “I should have designed them in gold!”

Age: 28. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Freestyle skiing, aerials. Placed: Second. Nickname: Speedy. Signature jump: The Hurricane—three somersaults (the maximum allowed) and five twists. Olympic highlight: “The best part about being here is having everyone support you and cheer you on. That’s what really gets me going and makes me want to go bigger. I can hear the crowd when I’m upside down, backwards, and 55 feet in the air. Hearing people cheer gets me pumped up. It definitely gets me rocking.”

Age: 24. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Alpine skiing. Placed: 17th in super combined. How well do you sleep the night before a big race? “I sleep really well, actually. In fact, if there was a sleeping competition, I’d probably win gold.” The best part of being an Olympian: “Wherever you go in the world, the word ‘Olympian’ means something to people. It’s a title that I’m really proud of.” Who is the most fun on the U.S. ski team? “I’ve given myself the self-proclaimed title of Most Fun.”

Age: 19. Country: Czech Republic. Sport: Figure skating. Placed: 10th. On traveling to the Olympics: “I have so much luggage. The Czech team’s bag is like that”—he separates his arms as wide as they can go—“and mine is like this”—he lifts his arms to his waist. On the Vancouver party scene: “They had a party last night, but I had to go to bed. I practice every day!”

Age: 18. Country: New Zealand. Sport: Half-pipe snowboarding. Placed: 21st. Won gold: In partying until the sun came up. On being an Olympian: “You feel almost famous.” On posing for the cameras: “You know what Tyra says: ‘Smile with your eyes, not with your neck!’”

Age: 20. Country: Norway. Sport: Snowboard cross. Placed: Fourth. On eating out: “I haven’t been eating in the cafeteria in the athletes’ village that much, because they have so much good food at the Oakley Safehouse.” On making new friends: “I’ve met hockey players and curling players and speed skaters, mostly from my own country.”

Age: 19. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Short-track speed skating. Placed: Third in the 1,500 meter; eighth in the 1,000 meter; and third in the 500-meter relay. You might recognize him from: The ubiquitous McDonald’s commercials airing during NBC’s coverage of the games. On the music playing during his shoot: “I love this new Vampire Weekend record. ‘Giving Up the Gun’ is my favorite song.”

Age: 22. Country: Bulgaria. Sport: Snowboard cross, parallel giant slalom. Placed: Could not compete after crashing on a training run. Her injury: “Both my hips were dislocated. I had some internal bleeding which was bad. My tummy was a mess. Yes, it wasn’t a small injury. But [on the] first day they told me you’d need four weeks to step on your feet, and at least four to six months before you can start to walk again. I was freaking out. I was thinking, Oh my gosh, my next season is gone, too! But then I started to work with my physiotherapist, and from a wheelchair, in seven days, he made me walk again! Now I’m walking perfect. I feel a little pain. I want to get back on my board!” Nickname: Ironwoman.

Age: 22. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Ice hockey. Placed: Second. Best thing about the U.S.A.-Canada rivalry: “It’s great playing them. Anytime there is a rivalry that means there’s good competition. They are fast, they are skilled, they are talented, and so are we. You never know who is going to win when you step on the ice.”

BRIANNE McLAUGHLIN

Age: 22. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Ice hockey. Placed: Second. Best part of being an Olympian: “Wearing my U.S.A. jersey.” Best thing about your Olympic swag: “I had never worn Ralph Lauren before because I thought it was too preppy, but I love it!”

CAITLIN CAHOW

Age: 24. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Ice hockey. Placed: Second. Best part of being in Vancouver: “Being a hockey player in Vancouver. For us, the best place to play hockey is in Canada. It’s a hockey-crazed nation—they are so proud of the sport.”

Age: 20. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Speed skating. Placed: 15th in the 1,500 meter; 10th in the 1,000 meter; 14th in the 5,000 meter; second in team pursuit. Best part of being an Olympian: “Getting to bring my family here, and enjoying what all of us have worked so hard for.” Hardest part of being an Olympian: “Getting tickets! Some of my family members decided to come at the last minute, so I was out on the street trying to buy tickets.” Girlfriend: U.S. Olympic speed skater Jilleanne Rookard, who told us, “There are so many special Olympic moments to choose from, but the best is being able to share those special moments with the people you love.”

Age: 24. Country: New Zealand. Sport: Short-track speed skating. Placed: 28th in the 1,500 meter; 16th in the 1,000 meter; 21st in he 500 meter. Olympic bling: Members of the New Zealand team received a green pendant carved from a single piece of pounamu stone. According to New Zealand lore, pounamu brings strength and luck. You can’t strip his identity! “I personalized my athlete’s badge by putting a kiwi sticker on the back,” he said cheekily.

Age: 24. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Ice hockey. Placed: Second. Nickname: Cally. Shot to the heart: His penalty killing and shot blocking helped lead Team U.S.A. to its 5–2 triumph over Team Canada in the third game of the tournament. On his schedule in Vancouver: “It hasn’t been too bad. We’ve actually had time to see our families.”

Age: 24. Country: Switzerland. Sport: Luge. Placed: Seventh. Family ties: She got into luge when she was just nine years old after being inspired by her father, Heinz, who was a Swiss bobsleigh and luge team coach. One of the best parts about being a two-time Olympian: “You make new friends and then get to see them four years later.” On standing on a crate for her VF.com photo shoot: “I like it—I’m on the podium!”

Age: 30. Country: China. Sport: Pairs figure skating. Placed: Second. Girlfriend: Pang Qing. Yes, the smiley pair who have been skating together for 17 years just announced that they are also a couple.

Age: 24. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Figure skating. Placed: Ninth. Have you seen any other competitions? “I had tickets to the U.S.A.-Canada hockey game, but I didn’t go. I went to watch ice dancing instead.” You know how many Canadians would have died for your hockey ticket? “Yeah, but I’m not really into hockey, and I wanted to go support my friends.”

Age: 25. Country: U.S.A. Sport: Figure skating. Placed: Sixth. Fur-tastic drama: “I wore a small tuft of fur on my costume at our Olympic qualification competition, and I started to hear lots of grumblings from anti-fur activists, and then the things people were saying slowly started to get more and more terrible and I started to get threatened, and ultimately a price was put on my head by an activist for anyone who wanted to hurt me.” Fur-get about it: “The controversy has definitely died down since I’ve been here ... I got standing ovations for both of my performances, and that’s a beautiful thing. People can forget about whatever controversy is surrounding Johnny Weir and just focus on what I do.” Post-Olympic plans: “I have the world championships in Italy, and then I’m going to take a vacation to Mongolia because I want to ride a yak. And after that, I’ll go to Moscow and see some friends, and after that I’m going to go lay on a beach for a little while, and then maybe continue skating, but if not, I want a career in fashion.”